Box Score MADISON, N.J. – The FDU-Florham Devils football team dropped their seventh straight contest on Friday night, falling to Wilkes University 38-16 at Robert T. Shields Field.

Trailing 24-0, the Devils rallied with two scores in just 23 seconds to cut the Colonel lead to eight, but were unable to get any closer as Wilkes notched a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure the victory.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Wilkes rushing attack orchestrated a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Taylor Young.  

With six minutes remaining in the first half, the Colonels (4-4, 3-4 MAC) added a 21-yard field goal which provided them with a 10-0 advantage.

The Devils (1-7, 0-7 MAC) responded with their most promising drive of the first half. FDU-Florham marched 92 yards on 14 plays spanning 5:54, thanks to seven completions by quarterback Michael Santos (North Arlington, N.J./St. Mary's).

With four seconds remaining in the opening half, the Devils gambled on 4^th and goal from the Colonel 4-yard line.  Santos' pass, which was intended for Anthony Fruncillo (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional), fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs.  

FDU-Florham went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half gave the Colonels  excellent field position. Wilkes moved 53 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 33-yard pass from Young to tight-end Dan Curry. Colonels tailback Patrick Ingulli plunged into the end zone from five-yards out to provide Wilkes with a 17-0 lead.

Ingulli paced the Colonels ground game with 168 yards on 21 carries.

On FDU-Florham's next possession, Santos led the Devils down the field, marching 76 yards on 15 plays, highlighted by a 23-yard completion to freshman wide receiver Esaun Mobley (Denville, N.J./Morris Knolls).  Unfortunately, the Wilkes defense stood tall once again and turned away the Devils on four straight plays from inside the Colonel five-yard line, to preserve their three-score lead.

The other half of the Colonel rushing attack, senior Calvin Garvin, broke free for a 61-yard gain on Wilkes next possession. This set up Young's second rushing score of the day — this one from two-yards out — to increase the Colonel lead to 24-0.

With 39 seconds to play in the third quarter, Santos hooked up with tight end Doug Van Orden (Madison, N.J./Madison) on a 45-yard strike to get the Devils into the scoring column.  A determined Fruncillo converted the two-point try on a rush up the middle, cutting the deficit to 24-8.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mike Columbo (Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley) offered FDU-Florham new life, when he recovered Sean Gavin's (Upton, Mass./St. John's Schrewsbury) onside kick for the Devils, at the Wilkes 45-yard line.

On the Devils second play from scrimmage, sophomore running back Craig Kimbrough (Dover, N.J./Morris Catholic) broke free with a 45-yard touchdown run for FDU-Florham's second score in just 23 seconds. Santos found Joe Tauriello (Bloomfield, N.J./St. Mary's) in the front of the end zone to complete the two-point conversion and bring the Devils within one score, 24-16.

After the Devils defense forced a three-and-out on Wilkes next possession, FDU-Florham took over at their own 6-yard line. Santos navigated the Devils into Colonel territory, but were hampered by a key illegal block penalty, and the drive ultimately stalled out.

The Colonels strung together a 12-play, 80-yard drive on their next possession, capped by a ten-yard touchdown pass by Young to increase the lead to 31-16.

With 2:57 left to play, a promising Devils drive came to an abrupt end, when Santos' pass was intercepted by Omar Richardson and returned 78-yards for a touchdown to seal the win for Wilkes.

Santos tossed for a season-high 405 yards in defeat while completing 36 of his 53 passing attempts. The freshman Mobley hauled in a career-high 11 receptions for 109 yards and Van Orden finished the night with 128 receiving yards for the Devils.

Leading the way for the FDU-Florham defense was Mike Mancino (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) who totaled 15 tackles and Anthony Alecci (Landing, N.J./Roxbury) who added ten tackles.

Next up for the Devils:
FDU-Florham heads to Williamsport, Pa. to take on Lycoming College, next Saturday, November 9^th with kick off scheduled for 1 p.m.